Fidus Achates
by Hestra Hassildor
Summary: A friendless blonde girl who has always felt detached from the rest of society happens upon a troubled runaway creature. Both of their happiness will come within stone's throw! AU


Antipodean encounter

An archetypal secondary school student sat in the back of her 5th period class, forehead against the desk and just barely awake. Her friends – acquaintances more so – prodded at her, but she paid no heed, as the only thing on her mind was going home and doing something she'd been looking forward to for a while: nothing. The winter break was just within the student body's grasp and despite the miserable appearance that the girl put on, she was glad for its arrival. The bell – a most beautiful sound to the mass of students – sounded, and she was out of the classroom like a madman.

"Maria, text me soon! We need to hang out!"

"Hey wait, Maria!" But she continued on her merry way, having no interest to partake in superficial conversations with people she didn't care too much for.

•═════•

"Get AWAY from me! Leave me alone! I will destroy all of you! Stupid humans!" A crimson striped creature snarled, cat-like ears flattening against its head and back quills rising in defense. Its fiery red eyes narrowed and gloved hands rose in fists. The angry little guy stood only a few inches over three feet. The aforementioned humans took a cautious step back, yet did not set their arms down. They all held various medical paraphernalia, from needles to scalpels. "Project, we will not hesitate to tranquilize you if you do not wish to submit." One of the men clad in the annoying white coats nervously stated. "You are hesitating right now, imbeciles! Why do you hesitate?! Do you really think I will ever in my lifetime submit to sedatives or any messed up fluid you intend on injecting into my bloodstream?!" The creature spat, then immediately flung itself forward and under the legs of the scientists, breaking down doors and fleeing down the halls at an incredible speed. _'This is it! This is my chance. I know this entire facility like the back of my hand. I am so done with this place!'_

•═════•

Maria puttered along the slippery ice-paved roads in a silver 2001 Acura, mulling to herself as she drank a flavoured steamer. Evening was approaching, the sun having left in a hurry. '_I never thought that I'd have ever gathered enough courage to finally take the road test and get my license',_ 17 year old Maria Moslin contentedly mused. It's been a lot easier getting around and doing things like Christmas shopping these past two months. _'Not having school for the next two weeks is going to do wonders for my psychological state! I'm going to make the best of this.'_

"Huh, I wonder if I spend too much money on hot drinks and vanilla scones… I should probably cut back." She slowly turned a corner, stupidly gawking at the snow-covered flora around the area. She whipped her head back as she saw a dark silhouette shift in a mass of bushes. Without realizing, she stopped the car; the road was absolutely deserted, there was no rush. Seeing it still in an attempt to not be seen again, she figured it was likely a stray cat. She pulled the car over to the side and hesitantly stepped out. _'What if it eats me? Or murders me? The mind is seriously the scariest thing'_. Maria expected it to flee further into the bushes, or maybe let out a series of feline hisses and growls, as she turned on her phone's flashlight and shone it towards the silhouette's general direction.

What she didn't expect at all, however, was to hear a deep alarmed gasp, followed by what looked to be a bipedal black and red coloured creature scooting itself into a bush. She stared with her mouth agape as its fiery red eyes glared at her, its triangular ears flattened against its head, and a faint growl resounding in its chest. Its face depicted hostility, confusion, hurt and fear. The blonde student weighed her options carefully, and gauged the amount of danger he – as its voice had suggested – posed. She slowly stepped towards him, despite the creature's growls rising in volume. As he'd smooshed himself right into the bush already, his posture indicated an intention to attack. At that moment she decided to pull out a small crinkly bag from her pocket, take a scone out of it, and sit down where she was, gazing around the tiny forest. She idly bit at it, as she pulled another one out and took her chances, holding it out to him with a hopeful expression. The growling never ceased, except that its source relocated from his throat to his stomach. Maria kindly smiled at him, still holding it out expectantly as he gazed at it. He spent a few moments watching her eat the identical piece of pastry, and after a minute or so he also took his chances, approaching her and grabbing it with a gloved hand. Maria barely hid her reaction at seeing how scuffed up and bloodied it was. He stood a ways away as he took a test nibble, his expression changing from hostility and caution to one of concealed delight, and swiftly ate the rest. Surprised yet pleased at the outcome, Maria handed him another. He stood up again and sat much closer, finishing the second one as well. She gave him her last one, crinkled the bag up and stuffed it back into her pocket.

They stared at one another, each with inquisitive eyes, silently passing judgement and assumptions. Finally, Maria spoke up.

"…Do you have a home?" At the blunt question, his ears drooped, and his eyes went downcast.

"I, um, left it. So not at the moment..." She failed to hide the surprise as he'd actually replied, having only asked out of intrigue. She hadn't expected a response at all, nonetheless one that didn't sound animalistic like his prior growling.

"I have a million questions for you, you really have no idea. But you're shivering, dirty and wounded. Please, you should come to my house! I promise you can trust me!" Maria took off her jacket, stepped forward, and set it around his shoulders, doing up the top button. The creature's eye ridges rose as he felt the warm insulated material cover the majority of his torso. His expression displayed uncertainty, but the caring twinkle in the blonde girl's eyes won him over, and he made his decision.

"Evidently you can tell that I am at my worst, and not only physically… Alright, I'd like to come with you, I hope I can trust you. My name is Shadow, by the way."

"Mine is Maria Moslin. I like your name!" She smiled at him and the two stared at one another for a moment. He stood up slowly, and Maria led him to the passenger's side of her car to open the door for him. Once he was seated properly and she herself, she started the engine, scaring the shit out of the poor guy.

"Hey, sorry! I didn't realize you'd startle from that, don't worry about that it's just the noisy engine!" She patted his shoulder and continued her route to her house, mindful to drive extra carefully to avoid any more stress on the raven coloured creature's part.


End file.
